Boston Partners Boosts Stake in Kronos Worldwide, Inc. (NYSE:KRO)

Boston Partners lifted its holdings in shares of Kronos Worldwide, Inc. (NYSE:KRO) by 80.4% during the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the SEC. The fund owned 1,412,106 shares of the specialty chemicals company’s stock after acquiring an additional 629,387 shares during the quarter. Boston Partners’ holdings in Kronos Worldwide were worth $13,765,000 as of its most recent filing with the SEC.

A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also modified their holdings of the business. Quest Partners LLC increased its holdings in Kronos Worldwide by 522.7% during the 3rd quarter. Quest Partners LLC now owns 54,826 shares of the specialty chemicals company’s stock worth $683,000 after purchasing an additional 46,021 shares during the last quarter. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. grew its position in shares of Kronos Worldwide by 2.2% during the third quarter. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. now owns 179,652 shares of the specialty chemicals company’s stock worth $2,237,000 after buying an additional 3,833 shares in the last quarter. Algert Global LLC increased its stake in shares of Kronos Worldwide by 230.0% in the third quarter. Algert Global LLC now owns 69,215 shares of the specialty chemicals company’s stock worth $862,000 after buying an additional 48,240 shares during the last quarter. Dynamic Technology Lab Private Ltd acquired a new stake in Kronos Worldwide in the third quarter valued at $245,000. Finally, Quantbot Technologies LP bought a new position in Kronos Worldwide during the 3rd quarter valued at $67,000. 15.11% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Kronos Worldwide Stock Performance

KRO stock opened at $7.90 on Friday. The stock’s 50 day simple moving average is $8.96 and its 200 day simple moving average is $10.36. Kronos Worldwide, Inc. has a 12-month low of $7.17 and a 12-month high of $14.50. The firm has a market cap of $908.21 million, a P/E ratio of 9.75 and a beta of 1.16. The company has a current ratio of 2.68, a quick ratio of 1.30 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.56.

Kronos Worldwide (NYSE:KRO) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, March 6th. The specialty chemicals company reported ($0.12) earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.19 by ($0.31). Kronos Worldwide had a return on equity of 11.74% and a net margin of 5.05%. The business had revenue of $423.10 million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $494.19 million.

Kronos Worldwide Announces Dividend

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, March 20th. Shareholders of record on Tuesday, March 11th were paid a $0.05 dividend. The ex-dividend date was Tuesday, March 11th. This represents a $0.20 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.53%. Kronos Worldwide’s payout ratio is currently 27.03%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Separately, StockNews.com upgraded shares of Kronos Worldwide from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research note on Tuesday.

Insider Activity

In related news, Director Kevin B. Kramer acquired 14,000 shares of Kronos Worldwide stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, March 11th. The stock was acquired at an average price of $7.43 per share, for a total transaction of $104,020.00. Following the transaction, the director now directly owns 21,460 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $159,447.80. This trade represents a 187.67 % increase in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this link. Corporate insiders own 0.11% of the company’s stock.

About Kronos Worldwide

Kronos Worldwide, Inc produces and markets titanium dioxide pigments (TiO2) in Europe, North America, the Asia Pacific, and internationally. The company produces TiO2 in two crystalline forms, rutile and anatase to impart whiteness, brightness, opacity, and durability for various products, including paints, coatings, plastics, paper, fibers, and ceramics, as well as for various specialty products, such as inks, foods, and cosmetics.